A Tucson, Arizona, grandmother has been sentenced to 21 years in prison after killing her twin 8-year-old grandsons — both of whom had autism. Dorothy Flood, 56, pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter last month, but finally received her sentence January 27. The ruling came just months after she shot her grandsons, Jaden and Jordon Webb, before attempting suicide.
Flood has been a guardian for the boys since their mother died in 2017.
According to People, both boys had severe autism symptoms, were nonverbal, and used diapers. Jordan suffered from digestive problems, and Jaden had asthma.Â
Eventually, caring for two children became Flood's full-time occupation.
She even quit her job, but then the pressure became too much.
âSomewhere, something snapped,â Chandra McCord, Floodâs former coworker at University Medical Center in Tucson, told KOLD-TV.Â
âYou could see the fear that she had of the future,â McCord said. âShe was afraid she wasnât going to be able to handle it.â
McCord insists that Flood did love her grandchildren, despite what she ultimately did to them. âShe loved those grandkids and she loved her family," she shared.
Flood shot and killed her grandsons on April 4, 2019. When police arrived, they discovered she had symptoms of an apparent drug overdose.
The Pima County Sheriffâs Department received a call from a civilian who heard multiple gunshots around 2 p.m. that afternoon, according to KOLD. When police arrived, the boys had been placed in separate bedrooms but were already dead.
Before the murders, Flood penned a suicide note she intended to leave behind.
âShe in her letter said when she took the gun out of the drawer, she said, âI am sorry buddy, we are not getting better," prosecutors recounted in court January 27. "They cannot help us, so we are going to leave, the three of us."
She fired one shot into Jordan's stomach and another into Jaden's chest before shooting both of them in the head. Flood allegedly tried to shoot herself as well, but the gun jammed, which is why she resorted to pills.
Originally, Flood was charged with first-degree murder, but she struck a plea deal with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
The grandmother was ultimately sentenced to 10-and-a-half years of jail time for each grandchild.Â
Flood apologized for her actions during her sentencing hearing, where she told a Pima County judge, âI loved those boys. I never intended to harm them. I am so sorry that I did."
